Digital transformation for effective management of disaster responses and search-and-rescue

Project Member(s): Nghiem, D., Dinh, H., Blumenstein, M., Pham, T., Nguyen, T., Sharma, N., Perry, S., Nguyen, D., Dutkiewicz, E.

Funding or Partner Organisation: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Aus4innovation)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Aus4innovation)

Start year: 2021

Summary: As a result of global warming, Vietnam has become one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. The Vietnamese government and various organizations have undertaken huge efforts in search and rescue (SAR) missions during and postdisasters. However, due to technology limitations, SAR activities during floods, landslides, oil spills and maritime incidents that unfortunately have happened more often in Vietnam over the last decades lack both advanced facilities and proper training. This results in delays that can cost many lives (e.g., during the SAR mission in Rao Trang hydropower plant in 2020). This project aims to bring the latest advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and remote sensing award winning technology developed by UTS to SAR activities in Vietnam. By leveraging this outstanding and real-time remote sensing and aerial surveillance technology from UTS (which has been deployed during bushfires in 2019/2020 and in shark management programs in Australia), UTS and its partners (including the industry partner from Australia, The Ripper Corp) will equip SAR workers with a Live Virtual and Constructive (LVC) simulation together with UAV technology that can be used for rescue operations and for the training of SAR workers. UTS will collaborate with its partners, Le Quy Don Technical University (LQDTU), Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (HCMUT) and the Office of National Committee for Search and Rescue of Vietnam (VINASARCOM) to transfer, deploy and apply real-time remote sensing and aerial surveillance technology using UAVs to SAR management, rescue operation activities and SAR training in Vietnam.

FOR Codes: Computer vision and multimedia computation, Networking and communications, Climate Change Adaptation Measures, Natural Hazards, Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.